The 2023 Australian Youth Women's Championship opened at Melbourne Ballpark today, with Victoria winning two big games to start their campaign off right.
In the morning, Victoria snuck past South Australia 10-9, with Lily McKenner's single scoring Chelsea Nunn in the final inning to secure the win.
Victoria had four hits and gave up three, with seven runs coming in the first inning and another two in the second. South Australia scored one in the first and another in the second before seriously firing up their offense, scoring seven in the top of the third to tie it up at nine.
Nunn walked with one out in the bottom of the frame, followed by a walk to Emma Sullivan and McKenner's two-out winning hit. McKenner had a double and two singles throughout the game, with Victoria's other hit coming off the bat of Kendra Rutgers.
Emily Loong held SA to one hit in 1.1 innings while Isabella Lee-Young and Lacey Tompkins also pitched for Victoria.
Excited by the win, Victoria kept up the momentum in a 19-5 performance against Western Australia on Saturday afternoon. The team collected 12 hits and gave up just three.
Victoria opened with five runs and WA responded with five of their own, but the next few innings were more one-sided. The winners added eight runs in both the second and the third for a much more comfortable margin than game one.
Morgan McConville, Amelia Wright, and Phoebe Martin held things down on the mound while McKenner doubled twice for 3 RBIs. Emily Brennan and Eden Neave also had extra-base hits, while Martin knocked in three on two singles.
Brennan, Neave, and Isabella Lee-Young recorded 2 RBIs apiece as Billie McCulloch and Ruby Benne also brought runners home.
Victoria heads into Sunday's 3pm game vs. New South Wales with a 2-0 record.
- #AYWC2023 GameChanger: https://bit.ly/aywc2023victoria
- #AWC2023 GameChanger: https://bit.ly/awc2023victoria
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